Lard-lamp



J. S. BROWN.

Lamp.

Patentd Feb.' 3, 1857'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. S. BROWN, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOS. KENT,OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

LARD-LAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 16,524, dated February 3, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J. S. BROWN, of Washington, in the District ofColumbia, have invented a new and improved lamp for burning lard orother fatty or concrete oily substances which are at ordinarytemperatures in a solid or simifluid state; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specification,Figure 1 being a vertical section of the lamp in the central plane; Fig.2, a side view of the removable heat-conducting device and the partsconnected therewith, all in the position exhibited when in the lam bodyor when first withdrawn therefrom; Fig. 3, a similar view of the samedevice prepared for reinsertion into the lamp-body.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all the figures.

The lamp body A, is a simple bowl, of any convenient form and size, andsupported by any desirable kind of base. The whole may be cheaply andeasily made of ordinary sheet tin. From the top of the body A, a tube a,say an inch or more in diameter, and of sutficient height to reduce theshadow of the lamp to the limits of its own base, extends upward. Intothe top of this fits a ring or band (Z, which is provided, at the top,with a rim 0, projecting outward over the tube a, substantially as shownin the drawings. Into this ring fits another ring f, which is providedwith a hollow oil cup 6, the edge thereof extending out-ward in alldirections, about as far as the rim 0, of the ring (Z.- A wick-holder g,of the usual construction for lard lamps, is inserted in the center ofthe oil cup 6.

To the lower side of the oil cup 7), and the inner side of the ring f,or to either alone, is secured, by solder or otherwise, a considerablenumber of wires h, 71,, which are of sufficient length to reach nearlyto the bottom of the lamp body A; and are curved outward, so as to forma flaring brush of wires, substantially as represented in the drawings.The wires should be good conductors of heat, and therefore should mostproperly be made of copper or brass. The former will answer the purposeof conducting heat rapidly, somewhat better than brass; but the latteris preferable on account of its superior elasticity, so that the brushmay retain its flaring form permanently. The cup I), and wick-holder 9,would be better, if also made of brass or copper. But they will wellanswer their intended purpose if made respectively of sheettin andsheet-iron. This brush of wires conducts the heat from the burning wickrapidly to nearly every part of the lamp body and thereby keeps thelard, or other fats, not only in a liquid, but in aconsiderably heatedstate; so that the capillary action of the wick raises it as readily asany oil. Thus is overcome the main difliculty in, and almost onlyobjection to, burning lard for procuring light.

The arrangement of the double rings above described, completely obviatesthe only inconvenience which would arise from the use of the brush ofwires; that is, the difficulty which, without the device mentioned,would be experienced in replacing the brush in the lamp body, aftertaking out for the purpose of filling the lamp with lard. WVhen thebrush is taken out, the loose ring (Z, is withdrawn with it, asrepresented in Fig. 2. After filling the lamp, the said ring (Z, ispushed down to the lower ends of the wires, thereby collecting them intoa close bundle, as shown in Fig. 3. The ring is then inserted into thetop of the tube a, and the brush afterward pushed down into the lamp,the wires immediately separating into their usual positions as soon asreleased from the ring cZ.

l/Vhat I claim as my invent-ion and desire to secure by Letters Patentis The loose ring (Z, in combination with the brush of wires, for thepurpose herein set forth.

J S. BROWN. WVitnesses:

GEORGE W. ADEMY, Burns F. Oscoon,

